THE MATCH-UP
Kansas City enters this week’s contest at Jacksonville seeking to build on the momentum of a 27-24 win at Baltimore (10/4). After enjoying a bye last Sunday following their victory vs. the Ravens, the Chiefs should be well rested as they attempt to derail another defensive-minded opponent in Jacksonville. The Jaguars started the season with three straight wins, but have lost their last two outings. Jacksonville suffered a 24-17 loss vs. Indianapolis (10/3) and was handed a 34-21 road setback last week at San Diego (10/10).

The Chiefs registered their victory at Baltimore the old-fashioned way – by running the ball and playing fierce defense. KC pounded out 46 rushing attempts and held the ball for 39:43 – the club’s highest totals in both categories since a 30-0 win vs. Oakland (12/9/97). While KC’s offense hammered away, the defense limited Baltimore to just 80 total rushing yards and a mere 10 pass completions, holding the Ravens to only 207 yards of total offense.

KC’s offense is averaging 340.8 yards of total offense per game – the exact same total the Chiefs boasted four games into the 2003 season. In fact, the 2004 vintage of the Chiefs offense is actually averaging 155.5 rushing yards per game (up 8.7 ypg from 2003). That offense will be tested by a Jaguars defense that currently ranks ninth in the league in scoring defense, permitting just 17.2 ppg and is 11th in total defense, allowing just 314.0 yards per game. However, the Jaguars have permitted 58 points (29.0 ppg) in their last two outings after giving up just 28 points (14.0 ppg) in their first three games.

Defensively, KC has shown dramatic improvement over the club’s past two contests. Over that span, the Chiefs defense has permitted opponents’ offenses to average just 16.5 actual points per game and only 78.0 rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, KC has sacked opposing QBs 7.0 times and has held the Texans and Ravens to just 22.2% (4 of 18) on third down. The 2004 Chiefs are also giving up just 185.8 passing yards per game (down 19.5 ypg from 2003).

THE SERIES
The Chiefs are 1-3 in regular season action vs. Jacksonville, including a 1-2 mark in three previous visits to ALLTEL Stadium. The Jaguars won the most recent meeting between the two squads by a 23-16 count at Arrowhead Stadium (9/15/02). The Chiefs are also 1-3 against the Jaguars in four preseason games played from ‘98-01, giving KC a 2-6 mark in all contests in the history of the series. The Chiefs lone preseason win against the Jaguars came when KC prevailed by a narrow 22-21 margin at Arrowhead (8/22/98) in the initial preseason meeting between the two clubs.

Kansas City’s last trip to ALLTEL Stadium resulted in the franchise’s first-ever regular season win vs. the Jaguars as the Chiefs claimed a 30-26 victory (12/30/01). TE Tony Gonzalez hauled in eight passes for 78 yards with a pair of TDs, while WR Eddie Kennison registered his initial 100-yard receiving game in a Chiefs uniform with a 121-yard effort. The Chiefs defense forced three Jacksonville turnovers (one INT, two fumbles), while four different players sacked Jaguars QB Mark Brunell. The victory capped a three-game winning streak in Dick Vermeil’s inaugural season as KC’s head coach.

Kansas City also traveled to Jacksonville in the regular season in both ‘97 and ‘98 with the Jaguars winning both contests. However, the Chiefs were without the services of starting QB Elvis Grbac, who was twice injured the game prior to the KC-Jacksonville match-up, forcing backup QB Rich Gannon into action. Despite 577 passing yards from Gannon in those two contests, the Jaguars outpointed the Chiefs by a combined 45-26 margin.

UP NEXT
The Chiefs return home to Arrowhead for back-to-back contests vs. Atlanta (10/24) and vs. Indianapolis (10/31). The Falcons currently lead the NFC South with a 4-1 mark, while the Colts are atop the AFC South standings at 4-1. A pair of road dates await the Jaguars, beginning with a key AFC South rematch at Indianapolis (10/24) and another divisional contest at Houston (10/31).

THE CHIEFS
The Chiefs are seeking to become the eighth team since ‘98 to start the season at 1-3 and qualify for the playoffs. Al Saunders returns for his fourth season as KC’s assistant head coach/offensive coordinator. Under his guidance, the Chiefs led the league in scoring in both 2002 and 2003, including a franchise-record 484 points a year ago. The Chiefs are second in the league in rushing at 155.5 ypg. Atlanta is first at 158.0. In 2004, KC is tied for sixth in the NFL with 18 rushing plays of 10+ yards. The Chiefs offense is seventh in the NFL in rushing avg. (4.7 yards per carry). KC is tied for second in the NFL with a 75.0 Red Zone TD percentage, scoring nine TDs on 12 Red Zone trips in 2004. KC was the NFL’s best squad in terms of Red Zone TD pct. (77.8%) in 2003, scoring 42 TDs on 54 Red Zone possessions.

Gunther Cunningham returns to KC as the club’s defensive coordinator, a role he previously held from ‘95-98 before serving as the Chiefs head coach from ‘99-00. From ‘95-98, KC allowed an NFL-low 1,050 actual offensive points, a paltry average of just 16.4 ppg. In 2003, KC led the NFL with a +19 turnover margin (37 takes/18 gives), marking the fifth time since ‘90 that KC has led the NFL. KC’s defense leads the NFL in average yards to go on second down for its opponents at 8.88. The 2004 Chiefs have six takeaways in their first four games and are second in the NFL, picking off 5.0% of their opponents’ passes. Seattle is first at 5.3%. CB Eric Warfield is tied for the NFL lead with three INTs, including one which he returned for a 43-yard TD vs. Carolina (9/19). The Chiefs are fourth in the NFL, forcing 26 negative rushing plays. KC’s defense has forced 15 punts the past three games, the club’s most since forcing 16 from 11/9/03 - 11/23/03.

WR Dante Hall’s seven kick return TDs since 2002 are by far the highest total in the league. KC’s 14.0-yard punt return avg. is third in the NFL in 2004. KC’s 16.42-yard punt return avg. in 2003 broke the previous franchise standard of 15.03 that was set in ‘60.

THE JAGUARS
QB Byron Leftwich (D1-03) has opened all but three games of his NFL career and owns an 8-10 (.444) record as an NFL starter. RB Fred Taylor (D1-98) is the Jaguars all-time leading rusher with 6,684 yards and has four 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his credit, including a franchise-record 1,572 yards in 2003. Veteran C Brad Meester (D2-00) and former Saints G Chris Naeole anchor the offensive line. Five-time Pro Bowl WR Jimmy Smith is Jacksonville’s all-time leading receiver with 739 receptions, 10,474 yards and 56 TDs. He joins first-round draft pick WR Reggie Williams (D1-04) and veteran TE Todd Yoder in the Jaguars receiving corps.

DT Marcus Stroud (D1-01) earned his initial Pro Bowl berth in 2003 and pairs with DT John Henderson (D1-02) to anchor a Jaguars defense that ranked second in the NFL against the run a year ago. Former Colts MLB Mike Peterson led the team with 167 tackles in 2003, while Akin Ayodele and Daryl Smith (D2-04) work at outside linebacker. S Donovin Darius has started more games (92) than any other defensive player in Jaguars history. He teams with veteran S Deon Grant, former Steelers CB Dewayne Washington and second-year CB Rashean Mathis (D2-03) in the Jacksonville secondary.

But he has been doing a lot of Chiefs games lately. I was talking about Mitch.

ChiefJustice

10-13-2004, 04:05 AM

A stat guru at the planet needs to find out what our w/l percentage is when Cross commentates our games.

I am far too lazy for that endeavour...

tk13

10-13-2004, 04:11 AM

A stat guru at the planet needs to find out what our w/l percentage is when Cross commentates our games.

I am far too lazy for that endeavour...
Over the last two years I think it's 4-2... because somehow the Harlan/Cross announce team got assigned to KC for each of the 4 games Dante took a KR/PR to the house. Then they got the Bengals game last year, and the Texans game this year.... I remember looking that junk up last year, because we were undefeated last year with Enberg/Dierdorf... until the playoff game.

Braincase

10-13-2004, 05:56 AM

And who's doing the radio? I can always turn the volume on the TV down. Hell, why not have a Chiefs watch party and let FDE & Phob do the play by play?